Tech tips for Every Learner
STI 4262

Case Study by Michelle Inello and Leila El-Chehabi


Student Case Study:

We work together at Edgewood School. Michelle works in the inclusion class, Leila works as the LRC teacher. We share students who struggle with writing details, decoding and sight word recognition.


Background Knowledge:

This student is a hard worker, strives to do well and thrives on individual attention. He enjoys reading and utilizes various decoding strategies. He is building his sight vocabulary and demonstrates increased confidence when reading. When writing, he focuses on the task, ensuring he is using the correct letter formation in his work. Our goal is for him to become a more fluent writer and sight word reader.


Goal:

Our goal is to provide supplemental instruction/activities to reinforce these skills, as they struggle to retain the learned information.


Methodologies:

Using the Universal Design for Learning methodology, we gathered and created a ‘tool chest’ of activities to assist the students in further learning. Based on the UDL philosophy, the teacher will represent a multisensory approach and the student will demonstrate and engage through action and expression.


Materials and Activities for Sight Words:

Some of the programs listed below will assist in reaching our goal to assist the student in our case study, in addition to his peers:





  • Teach Me – app for the iPad – this is a multisensory activity which reinforces sight word recognition, letter formation, and decoding.

  • www.dolchword.net is a website to reinforce sight word recognition, to include short term memory, visual recognition and auditory connection.

  • On the Smartboard display any poem, paragraph or short story. This allows the student to practice reading fluency, decoding, and word recognition. Using the magic pen children can find and circle the sight words.

  • Scrabble, either electronic or the classic board game, students must follow the direction from the teacher, to use only sight words or the given ‘CVC’ words, or as instructed.

  • Using NoteBook, the student will listen to a recorded passage (recorded via Quick Time, Audicity or Garage Band) of the teacher. The student will then write as many sight words as possible in which he heard. Using a screen recording of his work, this will allow the teacher to follow up on his progress.

  • To practice and reinforce activities completed in NoteBook, a student can then complete tasks independently on Show Me.